Review: EDGE OF ETERNITY Is Fantasy Made By Fans
If you’re gonna rip off one of the longest and strongest game franchises of all time, you better do it well. And considering what the game is trying to do and what franchises it will be compared to, Edge Of Eternity does a pretty good job delivering a full, fantasy game experience. Yes, it has some bugs and the acting and animation are a bit stiff, but overall, the game is surprisingly entertaining and well put together.
Players will follow a young man and his sister as they search the world to save their mother. Players will deal with tragedy, intense battles, and pretty good writing. This isn’t top-of-the-class, Oscar-worthy writing or performances, but I was actually drawn into the story a lot more than I thought I would be. The character’s personalities and dialogue are surprising and witty. The performances from the actors range from really bad to really good and the lifeless character models can get a bit distracting. But, if you can look past all that, there is an interesting enough story to merit the many hours to progress throughout the game.
The combat is probably the most unique thing about this game. It’s a mix of ATB and tactical RPG. Players won’t have to set up attacks and move around the map very much, but good placement of your characters within the small arenas can protect them and take advantage of enemies’ usual lack of range. The battles are a little long in all instances. Thankfully, there isn’t much level of grinding that needs to be done, but it can be quite a slog to grind out materials and or experience if needed. Luckily, one of the most interesting aspects of battle is that most fights start with a unique random goal that provides extra rewards. These goals can range from killing enemies in a certain amount of time or not allowing certain allies to take any damage etc. I found most of them to be pretty reasonable and it makes each battle feel a little more unique and the rewards feel more earned than just given.
The last thing that stuck out to me in this game is visual design. I am pretty impressed with the character models, the environments, the lighting, the textures, and the details in every part. It’s a pretty beautiful game…when it’s standing still. But seeing the characters move and perform actions takes away from their beauty because of the stiffness and jarring animation. It doesn’t ruin the visuals, but it feels a bit odd to have such nice graphics and such clunky animation. Along with that the music is good enough but is clearly reminiscent of anything related to Final Fantasy. The developers are upfront about where they get their ideas, but I wish that there was a bit more uniqueness and flare from their own minds.
Edge of Eternity is a great example of what indie developers can accomplish with a lot of hard work and dedication. It’s astounding to see a game of this scale be made by a group this small. It won’t win RPG of the year, but it’s a unique enough experience that JRPG fans should try it out if they can.
